“The great problem religious people have is they think God is way out there somewhere and they have to try as hard as they can to produce fruit—to say and do the right thing—to please this impossible-to-please God.
But you will never produce the right fruit by trying to produce the right fruit.
…
The inside of the branch must change. The automatic flow of thoughts and desires and intentions must change from being ego centered and conflicted and greedy and fearful to confident and grateful and humble and joyful and ready to love.
How does that happen?
‘I am the vine; you are the branches. Abide in me…’”
—John Ortberg in “Eternity is Now in Session”
My prayer this week: Lord God, abide in me and I will abide in you! Change me from the inside out to be confident, grateful, humble, joyful, and ready to love. Amen.
